Tools for monitoring antimalarial drug efficacy
WHO has developed a series of tools to facilitate the work of national malaria programmes and other partners involved in routine testing of antimalarial drug efficacy.
Global Malaria Programme
The WHO Global Malaria Programme (GMP) is responsible for coordinating WHO's global efforts to control and eliminate malaria. Its work is guided by the "Global technical strategy for malaria 2016–2030" adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2015 and updated in 2025.
Drug efficacy and resistance
The emergence of multidrug resistance is a public health concern that threatens the sustainability of global efforts to eliminate and reduce the burden of malaria. Regular monitoring of drug efficacy is needed to inform treatment policies in malaria-endemic countries, and to ensure early detection of, and response to, drug resistance.
To date, parasite resistance to antimalarial medicines has been documented in 3 of the 5 malaria species known to affect humans: P. falciparum, P. vivax and P. malariae. Parasite resistance results in a delayed or incomplete clearance of parasites from the patient’s blood when the person is being treated with an antimalarial.
Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), recommended by WHO for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum and for chloroquine-resistance P. vivax, have been an integral part of the remarkable recent success in global malaria control. Protecting the efficacy of these combination medicines is now seen as a top global public health priority.
WHO calls on countries and global malaria partners to monitor the efficacy of antimalarial medicines so that the most appropriate treatments can be selected for national policies.
WHO Guidelines for malaria
The WHO Guidelines for malaria bring together all current WHO recommendations on malaria in one easy-to-navigate web-based platform. They are a living resource that will be updated periodically as new evidence becomes available. The Guidelines are available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Tools and resources
Global database on antimalarial drug efficacy and resistance
The global database centralizes data and facilitate reporting on the status of antimalarial drug efficacy in malaria endemic countries.
Malaria Threats Map
The Malaria Threats Map is an interactive data platform, which provides a geographic overview of the status of the 4 biological threats to malaria control and elimination.
Publications
All →Antimalarial drug resistance in Africa
18 November 2022
Strategy to respond to antimalarial drug resistance in Africa
The Strategy is aimed at minimizing the threat and impact of antimalarial drug resistance of Plasmodium falciparum parasites in Africa
11 December 2024
World malaria report 2024
Each year, the World malaria report serves as a vital tool to assess global progress and gaps in the fight against malaria. This year’s report provides...
11 March 2025
Subregional networks of antimalaria drug efficacy and resistance in Eastern Africa and Horn of Africa...
In November 2022, WHO launched a strategy to address antimalarial drug resistance in Africa, emphasizing the need for stronger surveillance. While regional...
11 March 2025
Regional stakeholder meeting on the response to antimalarial drug resistance in Africa: meeting report,...
The regional stakeholder meeting on antimalarial drug resistance in Africa brought together country representatives from the African and Eastern Mediterranean...
11 March 2025
Extending the WHO scheme for external quality assessment of nucleic acid amplification testing for monitoring...
WHO recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies for treating uncomplicated malaria, alongside studies to monitor treatment effectiveness. Given...
11 November 2021
Informal consultation on methodology to distinguish reinfection from recrudescence in high malaria transmission...
This report summarizes the findings and conclusions of a virtual meeting on the methodology to distinguish reinfection from recrudescence in high malaria...
19 November 2020
Report on antimalarial drug efficacy, resistance and response: 10 years of surveillance (2010-2019)
Antimalarial drug resistance has emerged as a threat to global malaria control efforts, particularly in the Greater Mekong subregion. Drawing on data collected...